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Article of the Month
Active Release Technique (ART) is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.
How do overuse conditions occur?
Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:
- acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)
- accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
- not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)
Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.
Commonly Asked Questions about ART
* How does Active Release Technique treatment work? The art therapist uses their hands to evaluate the stress, texture, and movement of muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. The technique includes specific movement working as part of more than 500 specific types of movements led to a case by case basis.
* Is there any pain involved in ART? During the ART, you may experience a slight uncomfortable feeling, but this is really good news because it means you are moving towards recovery. The logic of "good pain" is that during ART, scar tissue or adhesions break down, making it easy for you to recover quickly.
* How long does Active Release Technique take? Depends on the condition and its severity. On an average, 4-11 visits (each lasting about 15-30 minutes) are sufficient to correct soft tissue problems.
* Are there any warnings that you should be aware of? No, it is completely safe. Like most techniques, Active Release Technique can not cure anything and everything. However, it has been effective in the treatment of 90% of cases.
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